1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to the field of pet hygiene. More particularly, the present invention relates to controlling breath odor in pets. More particular yet, the present invention involves both a method and composition for controlling breath odor in pets such as dogs. Most particularly, the present invention involves the treatment and control of breath odor in pets by dispensing uncooked garlic in powder form to such pets.
2. Description of Prior Art
As all pet owners are aware, the smell of a pet's breath can be rank enough to repulse the pets' owners, as well as the owners' friends and relatives, thereby adversely affecting the emotional bond between dog and human. The cause of the bad breath is periodontal disease, caused by a build-up of plaque and tartar along the gumline and between the teeth of the pet. Plaque, a composition of bacteria, salivary proteins and food debris, builds up in the groove between the teeth and gums forming pockets in which bacteria can continue to breed and eventually damage the tissue surrounding the teeth. It is the bacteria that causes the malodorous breath of the pet. A veterinarian specializing in dental care in pets estimates that 98% of dogs with bad breath are suffering from periodontal disease. See Matthew Hoffman, Ed.; Dogs. The Ultimate Care Guide, Rodale Press, Emmaus, 1998, citing Dr. Jan Bellows, DVM, PhD, p. 408. The cause of bad breath in the remaining 2% of dogs that are not suffering from periodontal disease are systemic, or internal. For example, the bad breath may be the result of poor nutrition or organic dysfunctions that result noxious gases being discharged through the respiratory system. Just as there are remedies, such as breath mints, mouthwashes, pastes, and gels, intended for human use combating what the advertisers once dubbed "halitosis," so too are there similar "fresheners," i.e., cover-up liquids and solids, that can be administered to pets for what is referred to as "doggy breath." Some of these fresheners can be administered to the pet orally, others require that the pet owner apply the freshener to the oral cavity of the pet. Devices for applying the breath freshener include such things as dental wipes, scrubbers that fit over a person's finger, and toothbrushes and toothpaste specially formulated for pets. The difficulty with such devices is that the pet owner must apply the device to the pet's teeth, a task that may entail extensive time and energy. Using such means to clean a pet's teeth necessarily entails putting a foreign object into the oral cavity of the pet--an unnatural situation for the pet --and this may be distressful for the pet.
Oral sprays and cleansers are also known as breath fresheners, to be applied to the animal's oral cavity by the owner or by a veterinarian. In addition, there are various types of pet treats or toys that supply some type breath-freshening substance to the oral cavity of the pet. One such device is a treat that has a pumice-like substance on the surface of the treat which is used to remove tartar and plaque build-up from the pet's teeth as the pet chews the treat, e.g., BREATH TREATS FOR DOGS by FOUR PAWS. Other known devices are treats or chewy toys that contain breath-freshening ingredients such as mint, parsley, chlorophyl, vitamins, or zinc compounds.
In particular, Deihl (U.S. Pat. No. 4,525,341 issued Jun. 25, 1985) discloses a method of administering vitamins to air-breathing animals (including humans) by an aerosol vehicle that, in addition to containing vitamins, also contains a breath freshener. The aerosol of Deihl is sprayed into the nose or mouth opening of the animal from where some of it is carried to the lungs by the animal's respiration. The "breath freshener" of Deihl not being specified, it can be any one of the products on the market bearing that name. As with the dental wipes and toothbrush devices, the substance must be sprayed into the oral cavity and/or nasal cavity of the pet by the owner and may cause distress to the pet. The method of Deihl addresses the cause of the bad breath in only those few percent who have bad breath as a result of some systemic disorder; the administration of such aerosol "fresheners" does nothing more than temporarily mask the problem of bad breath in those pets suffering from periodontal disease.
Richar et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,405,836 issued Apr. 11, 1995) aver that a primary source of offensive breath in animals results from the breakdown of food proteins by bacteria in the oral cavity and disclose pet food containing water-soluble zinc compounds for controlling animal breath. Richar et al. teach that the zinc compounds can be incorporated into rawhide "chews" as a means of administering the bad-breath-controlling substance to the oral cavity. Zinc sulfate is one such zinc compound that is widely known as a deodorant. However, it is not entirely a benign substance. Although the amounts of the compound that must be ingested in order to cause illness or death in a human or other big animals are large, they are proportionately smaller in small pets, and much more care must be taken in dispensing a safe dose. Thus, although it is possible to administer such compounds safely by using informed care, the potential for harm is present, therefore compromising the benefit of this approach to bad-breath control.
Except for Richar et al., al of the other prior-art breath freshener for animals have relied on sweet mint or chlorophyll-based scents, sprays, dietary supplements, etc. to simply mask the bad odors that are present. As indicated, these methods have at best resulted in a temporary cover-up of the undesirable odors because they do not address the causes of periodontal disease, which is the cause of bad breath in 98% of dogs, for example; nor do they address systemic disorders that may be the cause of the bad breath in the remaining 2% of dogs with bad breath.
To the extent that offensive odors arise from the oral cavity alone, it is known that frequent scraping of plaque and tartar buildup from the animal's teeth is a further remedy, though one usually requiring the expertise and expense of a veterinarian, as animals frequently require sedation during such scraping. Many chewy devices rely upon a mechanical action for reduction of tartar and plaque, such as the above-mentioned FOUR PAWS BREATH TREATS with the pumice-like substance, or the numerous chewy devices for dogs that have nubbles or some other irregularity on the surface of the device to help scrape off tartar or plaque as the dog chews. While tartar and plaque removal is effective and beneficial from a dental perspective, the offensive odors from the pet's mouth are neither entirely eliminated, nor even reduced for an appreciable amount of time. One reason for this is that scraping does not eliminate the odor-causing bacteria, but only a particular breeding place for such bacteria.
Therefore, what is needed is a method that is effective in eliminating offensive breath in pets, particularly dogs, rather than merely masking offensive odor. What is yet further needed is such a method that can be easily administered by the pets' owners. What is still further needed is a breath-freshening device that is benign to both the pet and the environment. Finally, what is need is such a breath-freshening device that is acceptable to the pet.